International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net Volume 11, Issue 5, 2020 Analysis of the Prospect of Heritage Tourism in Kinta Valley, Perak (Malaysia) Adnan Jusoha*, Yunus Sauman Sabinb, Rabaah Abdullahc, Farhana Abdullahd, Tan Soon Chine, a,b,cDepartment of History, Faculty of Human Sciences, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 39500 Tanjung Malim, Perak, MALAYSIA, dPhD. Candidate, Department of History, Faculty of Human Sciences, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, 39500 Tanjung Malim, Perak, MALAYSIA, Email: a*[email protected] Kinta Valley is both a valley rich with tin ore and a unique tourist attraction among local and foreign tourists. Hence, this article aims to identify the potential and attraction of Kinta Valley as one of the heritage tourism centres in Malaysia. A total of 375 local tourists were selected as respondents through simple random sampling. A questionnaire instrument was used to obtain feedback. It comprised tourists' background, visit duration profile and objective when visiting Kinta Valley, the frequency of location announcements of Kinta Valley, as well as other potentials and attractions of Kinta Valley; a heritage tourism centre in Malaysia. The results of the study show that the majority of local tourists to Kinta Valley stayed one day only, and the main intention of the visits for most of the tourists is to relax or to go sightseeing. The announcement frequency for Kinta Valley showed that social media played a very important role among the tourists visiting Kinta Valley, followed by documentaries, television or radio, travel agencies, magazines or brochures, as well as friends and relatives. Other potentials and attractions of Kinta Valley include the theme park, murals, creative illustrations, buildings, restaurants and eateries. This demonstrates that apart from the heritage of archaeological sites, historic buildings, nature and food, Kinta Valley has other attractions that are on par with the current trend, such as Movie Animation Park Studio, The Lost World of Tambun, Taman Rekreasi Gunong Lang, Art of Old Town and Fantasy House Trick Art. In order to bring Kinta Valley forward as one of Malaysia's leading heritage tourism destinations, announcements via social media should be intensified, as it is the most current, fast, and effective medium. Key words: Kinta Valley, attraction, potential, heritage tourism. 418 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net Volume 11, Issue 5, 2020 Introduction History has become a product of heritage tourism groups in places such as Europe, Egypt, China, and Malaysia (Mohd, Samsudin & Sulong, 2013). The World Heritage Committee (1996) (WHC) explained that heritage is a legacy from the past that is still practised today, to be passed down from the current generation to future generations. Meanwhile, the National Heritage Department (2009) defines legacy as a state treasure inherited from the previous generation, for which the community group to which it belongs bears a collective responsibility to conserve and preserve it. Our heritage is the knowledge and expertise inherited by us through life, the belief that is manifested through cultural objects. It describes the overall memory of the community's lives and symbolises the civilisation of the community. Cultural and natural heritage are indeed the sources and inspirations of life that are irreplaceable. In brief, heritage is a benchmark, a basic reference, and the identity of a community. Basically, heritage is something that is visible and invisible, belonging to a community through inheritance, and highly valued and important in the context of the social and cultural evolution of the community. Tourists look for experiences at original places and seek activities that describe the stories and people of the past (National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2011). This shows that heritage tourism focuses on community stories and places delivered through the interpretation of cultural landscapes and the conservation and preservation of the historical form itself (National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, 2011). Through heritage tourism, tourists experience the heritage left behind in a town by observing, in person, the shape of the buildings, culture, residential places, and human activities as described in history. Therefore, it is important for heritage tourism to retain the originality of monuments and activities that are being re-enacted. Background To date, efforts to maintain sites and monuments related to history and heritage are the most successful activities for attracting tourists. For example, foreign tourists are excited to visit the remains of European architecture, like A 'Formosa (Malacca) and the remains of British-era buildings in Georgetown (Penang) and Ipoh (Perak). This condition proves that historical remains can be tourism products in Malaysia. Heritage tourism can be a country's major source of income, as in Egypt (the pyramids), Jordan (Petra), Peru (Maccu Pichu), Cambodia (Angkor Wat), Indonesia (Borobudur), and so on. Efforts made to attract more tourists are an excellent source of income and can create a job market, as well as developing the local economic sector. Activities related to heritage tourism are important, as many studies show that heritage tourists stay longer and spend more money than other groups of tourists. Focusing on heritage tourism 419 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net Volume 11, Issue 5, 2020 also helps society diversify its economic resources, rather than merely relying on a single industry. At the same time, heritage tourism is an important asset in promoting the pride of a community. When a community focuses on presenting its heritage to tourists, it also receives assistance in conserving that heritage. The reusing of historic remains and reliving of historical memories for tourism activities protects important resources and helps maintain the uniqueness of the community in an area (Neumayer, 2004). Therefore, one of the ways to sustain Malaysia’s heritage is by creating a national park or “geopark”. This is because, indirectly, the national heritage, and especially the natural heritage, will continue to be preserved and conserved for the society and future generations. So far, there are two sites that have been recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in the nature category; Mulu National Park (Sarawak) and Kinabalu National Park (Sabah). Whereas Langkawi has a geopark patronised by the UNESCO Global Geopark Network. Under the Global Geopark Network, the geopark in Langkawi is not bound by barriers towards economic activities conducted within the geopark area, but must comply with the laws stipulated by the local, national, and regional authorities. Another proposed geopark to be developed is in Kinta Valley. Kinta Valley also possesses some attractions of natural heritage and cultural heritage. The diverse and unique Malaysian terrain has left behind archaeological sites such as Bujang Valley and Sungai Batu, Kedah, the Lenggong Archaeological Site, and Kinta Valley, Perak. However, in this article, studies are more focused on the analysis of the potential of heritage tourism attractions in Kinta Valley, Perak. Kinta Valley is situated between two mountainous areas of the Titiwangsa Range (on the east) and Mount Keledang Range (on the west). It is located between 4° 15' 00' and 4° 45' 00' longitude (North) and 101° 00' 00' and 101°15' 00' latitude (East) and has an area of about 627 to 700 square kilometres. Kinta Valley was once rich with tin ore and is home to towns related to the production of tin ore, such as Ipoh City, Kampar, Gopeng, Batu Gajah, Pusing, Pasir Putih, Papan, Lahat, Menglembu, Jelapang, Tasek, Bercham, Mount Rapat, and others. Kinta Valley is characterised by the Kinta River, which is located in Mount Korbu, Ulu Kinta, and runs from Tanjung Rambutan all the way to Kampung Gajah, where the Kinta River meets Perak River near Pulau Inderasakti (Inderasakti Island). The development of Kinta River proposed in 2000, and the declaration of Kinta Valley Geopark in 2014, have indirectly introduced the cultural heritage and natural heritage of the area (Nazri, 2000; Rosli, 2014). A total of 24 geosites have been identified and these include the Ipoh area, Kampar district, and Batu Gajah district (Rosli, 2014). Based on preliminary studies around Kinta Valley, there were various attractions that could be highlighted as tourism products in Kinta Valley. These especially involve limestone caves, man-made lakes, waterfalls, the beautiful river, tin mines with dredge remains, as well as the cultures of the communities, particularly the Orang Asli community of the Temiar tribe. 420 International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change. www.ijicc.net Volume 11, Issue 5, 2020 In the context of natural heritage, the state government intends to develop several areas as attractions in the Kinta Valley. They include Gunong Lang, Lata Ulu Chepor, Gua Tambun, Kledang Range, Gua Tempurung, and Air Terjun Batu Berangkai. In addition, there are caves categorised in the natural heritage and cultural heritage category. Apart from highlighting the beauty of the karst rocks and the fossils found in the caves, the caves in the area around the Kinta district hold evidence of the presence of prehistoric society in the form of artifacts and cave paintings that are not given much attention by Malaysian society. Among the caves that